Consider joining the unschooling webring. It’s a good way for those of us with informative sites to network them together.
More info here: Unschooling Blogs Info
Related Tags: unschool, unschooling, unschooler, homeschool, homeschooling
Yep, that’s me!
Last night I drove almost 2 hours, to sit in an airport with someone on layover for 2 hours. 2 lousy hours. But you know what? It was great. The drive home sucked, and it as only 2 hours. In an airport terminal.
I met someone last summer, but it was such a whim, she was in town for two days, and we met through friends. We’re both pretty smart about this stuff - and there’s just no way I’d ever consider moving to Ohio and there’s no way she’d consider moving here. Out of the question. We agreed not to even talk, or email, just remember those two days and move on.
Right….
All good intentions aside, I think we really didn’t expect to see each other again.
Now I don’t know what to do. Probably should just forget about it. I should definitely STOP looking at real estate ads in Ohio!
* I edited this post, for historical content. JoVE, I think I should have listened to your earlier advice, because now I have reservations to visit Ohio in 3 weeks. Ha!
That sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
The reality is a bit more mundane.
Shocker number one: It’s snowing! WTF? I saw the local news before I went to bed. I missed the part about “snow”. It’s been quite mild here for a couple of weeks (at least), daytime temps near 60, light drizzle a few times but mostly clear and spring-like warm. My stupid daffodils are coming up. My rhodies are budding. It’s not just snowing, it’s like a freakin’ blizzard and 20 degrees. Oops, guess what - THE WATER SYSTEM IS FROZEN. Sigh. I guess I needed a little reminder that it’s still winter.
Shocker number two: As a good mom, I thought I should move my son’s pickup out from under the questionable tree in the yard. Get in, start it up. WHY IS STEREO ON FULL VOLUME? And what is this song??? Wait, I kind of like it (easing the volume back up) “Animal” by Nickelback. Yeah -I’m deaf now, but the song rocks.
Shocker number three: I’m not perfect. I guess I missed the part where I ever claimed to be. The thing is, I like me the way I am. If you don’t - well, it’s not rocket science. You can choose to leave me alone.
Haven’t been online much (it’s a good thing). I can barely keep up with reading Ree’s blog, let alone post on my own, heh heh. She’s dear to my heart, I know she makes it look easy, all that time to photograph, but I know the sick truth about 10 million teeny tiny details that make up farm life, or mothering in general. I do not miss the days of 4 children under the age of double digits. Wait - I can barely remember those days! The 90’s are just a big blur to me.
Does life get easier? Not even…. the kids just get bigger and become more help (sometimes).
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
This week alone: Built a paddock for the new market lambs. And a shed. Wormed, vaccinated, trimmed hooves on 20 sheep, 24 goats, 6 horses. The horses were the easiest. Midwifed several times. Made a trip to eastern WA to look at a piece of property (nice, but I don’t know), a 24 hour turn around without even getting a motel room. Did the bird count - our totals - 17 crows, 4 mallards, and 1 great blue heron. Dealt with a broken refrigerator, which can just mess up a whole day. Bought a new one - Whirlpool, nothing fancy, freezer on the top. Proofread my daughter’s first attempt at a resume for the state 4H competition, and my son’s state level ag topic essay. Both are really good. Somehow, being unschooled, my kids have turned into pretty good writers. I keep meaning to finish a post on unschooling - with my kids help -but we’re too busy living life to do it.
I do have one small thought on unschooling. As adults, we take up new projects and skills all the time, teaching ourselves, or relying on others to teach us - at our request. Why do so many assume a child doesn’t have the same ability?
I spent last night (and several others lately) up and down awaiting a birth. My goats don’t typically kid at night; this was no different. After keeping me guessing from 2 am until 7, a new little doe entered the world. Bittersweet - that may be her name. She’s the last kid due out of my buck Scotty, who died in January after coming down with pneumonia. I had been hoping for a buck out of him, but it’s all does. She’s perfect anyway. Sigh.
As I sat there, in the cold barn (with a propane heater and a sleeping bag), I had to smile that I was there at all. It’s not what I ever thought I’d be doing. Watching a goat, in the middle of the night. In 25 degree weather. With an owl hooting in a tree outside.
It’s not a bad life at all, this farm thing. This mom thing. Homeschooling. Knowing my kids. Do you realize there are people who think this is like some kind of prison sentence? I don’t get it. Not at all. I live in absolute paradise. My kids are never going to be like the dreary people I encounter who do nothing but whine about their circumstances and blame their crappy upbringing, no, my kids are fine young adults with direction and even if I say so myself, a pleasure to be around. Shit, even the goats are therapeutic. Goats aren’t easy animals to raise, and I don’t just raise them, I show them - champions - and to do that, I’m constantly setting goals to improve my herd. When I try to catalog the knowledge I’ve acquired raising goats, it even impresses me. Structural soundness, bred from careful attention to genetics, good milkers, great health from lots of research into nutrition. At least it fills the days with something other than empty talk and impotent dreams. And I am busy.
Single? If the alternative is to be involved in some junior high drama, I’ll take single any damn day. Backbiting lesbians suck. I’ll even take boring livestock people (minus the crazy survivalists).
I’m just musing, after not sleeping much. Don’t confuse this with a rant, or even the slightest inclination that I may give a crap what a bunch of losers think about my lifestyle choices. I know what I’m doing - and it’s a hell of a lot more than sitting on my ass in front of a computer judging someone else. And to think someone would accuse me of “missing” that. Right, just like I miss cancer. Or the way you treat me like garbage for no reason at all. Oh well, live and learn. Thank you for leaving no doubt.
10 to await a new goatling by
Train - When I Look To The Sky
Indigo Girls - I Don’t Wanna Talk About It
Ryan Adams - Nightbirds
Jack Johnson - Let It Be Sung
Foo Fighters - Virginia Moon
John Mayer - Stop This Train
Grant-Lee Phillips - Under The Milky Way
David Grant - White Ladder
Edie Brikell - Circle
KT Tunstall - Other Side Of The World
More bird stuff:
Doc’s Bird Page (includes several mini units)
Related Tags: birds, great backyard bird count, bird unit, preschool bird unit, homeschool, unschool, bird theme
